diff --git a/lib/graph/apply-proposal.js b/lib/graph/apply-proposal.js
index 0ad7b78..fcfe266 100644
--- a/lib/graph/apply-proposal.js
+++ b/lib/graph/apply-proposal.js
@@ -1387,6 +1387,12 @@ function describeObservationFocus(context, which) {
   return which === "first" ? "the first observation" : "the second observation";
 }
 
+function parentSupportsComparisonDecomposition(parentText) {
+  return /\b(compare|comparison|comparable|comparability|different timing|timing|measured|measurement|basis|scale|same period|timing or measurement basis|two observations)\b/.test(
+    parentText,
+  );
+}
+
 function buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
   const parentText = normaliseText(
     `${parentNode?.label || ""} ${parentNode?.description || ""}`,
@@ -1468,7 +1474,7 @@ function buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
     ];
   }
 
-  if (/\btiming or measurement basis\b/i.test(parentNode.label)) {
+  if (parentSupportsComparisonDecomposition(parentText)) {
     return [
       {
         label: "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
@@ -1481,38 +1487,27 @@ function buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
     ];
   }
 
-  return [
-    {
-      label: "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
-      description: `Need to know whether the two observations reflect different timing, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: "How the two observations were measured",
-      description: `Need evidence about the measure used for each observation, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: `Possible change mainly affecting ${firstFocus}`,
-      description: `Need to know whether a possible change mainly affected ${firstFocus}, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: `Possible change mainly affecting ${secondFocus}`,
-      description: `Need to know whether a possible change mainly affected ${secondFocus}, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    depth === 0
-      ? {
-          label: "Possible one-off event during the period",
-          description: `Need to know whether a possible one-off event happened during the period, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-        }
-      : {
-          label: "Mix shift during the period",
-          description: `Need to know whether the mix of cases, customers, or items shifted during the period, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-        },
-  ];
+  return [];
 }
 
 function buildCompositeUnknownChildren(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
   const templates = buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth);
 
+  if (templates.length === 0) {
+    return {
+      accepted: false,
+      childNodes: [],
+      childEdges: [],
+      childNodeIds: [],
+      proposedChildCount: 0,
+      acceptedChildCount: 0,
+      rejectedChildren: [],
+      childQualitySummary: [],
+      reason:
+        "Decomposition stopped because no meaning-preserving child family was justified for this parent.",
+    };
+  }
+
   const labelToId = new Map(
     templates.map((template) => [
       template.label,
diff --git a/tests/graph/apply-proposal.test.js b/tests/graph/apply-proposal.test.js
index 0b22293..5aa0d2d 100644
--- a/tests/graph/apply-proposal.test.js
+++ b/tests/graph/apply-proposal.test.js
@@ -278,6 +278,70 @@ function makeRiskClarificationFixture() {
   return { graph, riskUnknownId: riskUnknown.id };
 }
 
+function makeGenericExplanationFixture() {
+  const explanationUnknown = makeNode({
+    id: "n-generic-explanation",
+    label:
+      "Explanation for why Should I relocate my engineering team from London to Manchester",
+    description:
+      "Need to understand what change or event could explain why these observations differ, because that is needed to investigate their relationship.",
+    kind: "unknown",
+    status: "unknown",
+    confidence: "medium",
+  });
+
+  const observationA = makeNode({
+    id: "n-london-team-state",
+    label: "Engineering team is currently operational in London.",
+    description: "Engineering team is currently operational in London.",
+    kind: "observation",
+    status: "supported",
+    confidence: "high",
+  });
+
+  const observationB = makeNode({
+    id: "n-manchester-relocation-eval",
+    label:
+      "Relocation to Manchester is actively being evaluated by the decision-maker.",
+    description:
+      "Relocation to Manchester is actively being evaluated by the decision-maker.",
+    kind: "observation",
+    status: "supported",
+    confidence: "high",
+  });
+
+  const graph = makeGraph({
+    centralStatement:
+      "Should I relocate my engineering team from London to Manchester?",
+    nodes: [explanationUnknown, observationA, observationB],
+    edges: [
+      makeEdge({
+        id: "e-london-explanation",
+        fromNodeId: observationA.id,
+        toNodeId: explanationUnknown.id,
+        relationship: "supports",
+        confidence: "medium",
+        description:
+          "The current London operating state contributes to the broad explanation unknown.",
+      }),
+      makeEdge({
+        id: "e-manchester-explanation",
+        fromNodeId: observationB.id,
+        toNodeId: explanationUnknown.id,
+        relationship: "supports",
+        confidence: "medium",
+        description:
+          "The Manchester relocation evaluation contributes to the broad explanation unknown.",
+      }),
+    ],
+    activeUnknownNodeId: explanationUnknown.id,
+    resolvedNodeIds: [],
+    currentSummary: "Generic explanation fixture",
+  });
+
+  return { graph, explanationUnknownId: explanationUnknown.id };
+}
+
 function makeMeaningfulNoOpProposal() {
   return {
     addedNodes: [
@@ -2114,86 +2178,38 @@ describe("applyValidatedProposal", () => {
     ).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
-  it("decomposes a composite selected unknown before asking the next question", () => {
-    const { graph, proposal } = makeComparabilityUpdateFixture();
+  it("does not decompose a generic explanation unknown into unsupported comparison children", () => {
+    const { graph, explanationUnknownId } = makeGenericExplanationFixture();
 
     const result = applyValidatedProposal({
       situationGraph: graph,
-      proposal,
-      previousQuestion:
-        "Were these figures measured on the same basis and at the same scale?",
-      answer:
-        "Yes. Both figures cover the same accounting period and are taken from the same management accounts.",
+      proposal: makeMeaningfulNoOpProposal(),
     });
 
     expect(result.success).toBe(true);
     expect(result.atomicityAssessment).toBe("composite");
-    expect(result.decompositionPerformed).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.childUnknownCount).toBe(5);
-    expect(result.childNodeIds).toHaveLength(5);
-    expect(result.atomicityReason).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.nodeId).toBe(result.newActiveUnknownNodeId);
-    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.nodeId).not.toBe(
-      result.emergentReasoningNodeId,
-    );
-    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.question.toLowerCase()).not.toMatch(
-      /dso|working capital|receivables|capex/,
-    );
-
-    const parentNode = result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.find(
-      (node) => node.id === result.emergentReasoningNodeId,
-    );
-    expect(parentNode?.status).toBe("unknown");
-
-    const childNodes = result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.filter((node) =>
-      result.childNodeIds.includes(node.id),
-    );
-    expect(childNodes).toHaveLength(5);
-    expect(childNodes.every((node) => node.parentId === parentNode.id)).toBe(
-      true,
-    );
+    expect(result.decompositionPerformed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.childUnknownCount).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.childNodeIds).toHaveLength(0);
     expect(
-      result.updatedSituationGraph.edges.filter(
-        (edge) =>
-          result.childNodeIds.includes(edge.fromNodeId) &&
-          edge.toNodeId === parentNode.id &&
-          edge.relationship === "depends_on",
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) => node.label === "How the two observations were measured",
       ),
-    ).toHaveLength(5);
-  });
-
-  it("reuses existing decomposition children instead of duplicating them", () => {
-    const { graph, proposal } = makeComparabilityUpdateFixture();
-
-    const firstResult = applyValidatedProposal({
-      situationGraph: graph,
-      proposal,
-      previousQuestion:
-        "Were these figures measured on the same basis and at the same scale?",
-      answer:
-        "Yes. Both figures cover the same accounting period and are taken from the same management accounts.",
-    });
-
-    expect(firstResult.success).toBe(true);
-
-    const secondResult = applyValidatedProposal({
-      situationGraph: graph,
-      proposal,
-      previousQuestion:
-        "Were these figures measured on the same basis and at the same scale?",
-      answer:
-        "Yes. Both figures cover the same accounting period and are taken from the same management accounts.",
-    });
-
-    expect(secondResult.success).toBe(true);
-    expect(secondResult.atomicityAssessment).toBe("composite");
-    const uniqueChildIds = new Set(firstResult.childNodeIds);
-    expect(uniqueChildIds.size).toBe(firstResult.childNodeIds.length);
+    ).toBe(false);
     expect(
-      secondResult.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.filter((node) =>
-        firstResult.childNodeIds.includes(node.id),
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) =>
+          node.label ===
+          "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
       ),
-    ).toHaveLength(firstResult.childNodeIds.length);
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.question || "").not.toContain(
+      "two observations",
+    );
+    expect(result.decompositionStoppedReason).toBe(
+      "Decomposition stopped because no meaning-preserving child family was justified for this parent.",
+    );
+    expect(result.selectedUnknownBefore).toBe(explanationUnknownId);
   });
 
   it("reselects a remaining commercial sibling after resolving the first child", () => {
diff --git a/tests/graph/decomposition-quality.test.js b/tests/graph/decomposition-quality.test.js
index 32eb45b..93604d7 100644
--- a/tests/graph/decomposition-quality.test.js
+++ b/tests/graph/decomposition-quality.test.js
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ describe("decomposition stopping conditions", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("stops once a directly answerable child is selected", () => {
+  it("does not manufacture comparison children for a generic explanatory parent", () => {
     const { parent, graph } = makeParentGraph({
       centralStatement: "Traffic increased, but sales stayed flat.",
       parentLabel:
@@ -259,15 +259,82 @@ describe("decomposition stopping conditions", () => {
 
     expect(result.success).toBe(true);
     expect(result.decompositionAttempted).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.decompositionAccepted).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.selectedQuestion).toMatchObject({
-      nodeId: expect.any(String),
-      question:
-        "What evidence would clarify how the two observations were measured?",
-    });
-    expect(result.selectedChildNodeId).toBe(result.selectedQuestion?.nodeId);
+    expect(result.decompositionAccepted).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.childUnknownCount).toBe(0);
+    expect(
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) => node.parentId === parent.id,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) => node.label === "How the two observations were measured",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) =>
+          node.label ===
+          "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
     expect(result.decompositionStoppedReason).toBe(
-      "Selected child is atomic and directly answerable.",
+      "Decomposition stopped because no meaning-preserving child family was justified for this parent.",
+    );
+    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.question || "").not.toContain(
+      "two observations",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("still decomposes a genuine comparison/measurement parent into valid comparison children", () => {
+    const { graph } = makeParentGraph({
+      centralStatement:
+        "Revenue increased by 18%, but cash in the bank fell over the same period.",
+      parentLabel: "Timing or measurement basis",
+      parentDescription:
+        "Need evidence about whether a timing or measurement-basis difference could explain the observations, because that would change how they should be interpreted.",
+      observations: [
+        makeNode({
+          id: "n-revenue",
+          label: "Revenue increased by 18%.",
+          description: "Revenue increased by 18%.",
+          kind: "observation",
+          status: "supported",
+          confidence: "high",
+        }),
+        makeNode({
+          id: "n-cash",
+          label: "Cash in the bank decreased over the same period.",
+          description: "Cash in the bank decreased over the same period.",
+          kind: "observation",
+          status: "supported",
+          confidence: "high",
+        }),
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const result = applyValidatedProposal({
+      situationGraph: graph,
+      proposal: makeMeaningfulNoOpProposal(),
+    });
+
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.decompositionPerformed).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.childUnknownCount).toBe(2);
+    expect(
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) => node.label === "How the two observations were measured",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      result.updatedSituationGraph.nodes.some(
+        (node) =>
+          node.label ===
+          "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.selectedQuestion?.question).toBe(
+      "What evidence would clarify how the two observations were measured?",
     );
   });